SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane Leaves

In agricultural production, the nitrogen content of sugarcane is assessed with precision and the economy, which is crucial for balancing fertilizer application, reducing resource waste, and minimizing environmental pollution. As an important economic crop, the productivity of sugarcane is significan...

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Main Authors: Zihao Lu, Cuimin Sun, Junyang Dou, Biao He, Muchen Zhou, Hui You
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Agronomy
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/175
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author Zihao Lu
Cuimin Sun
Junyang Dou
Biao He
Muchen Zhou
Hui You
author_facet Zihao Lu
Cuimin Sun
Junyang Dou
Biao He
Muchen Zhou
Hui You
author_sort Zihao Lu
collection DOAJ
description In agricultural production, the nitrogen content of sugarcane is assessed with precision and the economy, which is crucial for balancing fertilizer application, reducing resource waste, and minimizing environmental pollution. As an important economic crop, the productivity of sugarcane is significantly influenced by various environmental factors, especially nitrogen supply. Traditional methods based on manually extracted image features are not only costly but are also limited in accuracy and generalization ability. To address these issues, a novel regression prediction model for estimating the nitrogen content of sugarcane, named SC-ResNeXt (Enhanced with Self-Attention, Spatial Attention, and Channel Attention for ResNeXt), has been proposed in this study. The Self-Attention (SA) mechanism and Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) have been incorporated into the ResNeXt101 model to enhance the model’s focus on key image features and its information extraction capability. It was demonstrated that the SC-ResNeXt model achieved a test R<sup>2</sup> value of 93.49% in predicting the nitrogen content of sugarcane leaves. After introducing the SA and CBAM attention mechanisms, the prediction accuracy of the model improved by 4.02%. Compared with four classical deep learning algorithms, SC-ResNeXt exhibited superior regression prediction performance. This study utilized images captured by smartphones combined with automatic feature extraction and deep learning technologies, achieving precise and economical predictions of the nitrogen content in sugarcane compared to traditional laboratory chemical analysis methods. This approach offers an affordable technical solution for small farmers to optimize nitrogen management for sugarcane plants, potentially leading to yield improvements. Additionally, it supports the development of more intelligent farming practices by providing precise nitrogen content predictions.
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spelling doaj-art-a2296c2def374833a90969b95a510ba82025-01-24T13:17:02ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-01-0115117510.3390/agronomy15010175SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane LeavesZihao Lu0Cuimin Sun1Junyang Dou2Biao He3Muchen Zhou4Hui You5School of Mechanical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaSchool of Computer, Electronics and Information, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaSchool of Computer, Electronics and Information, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaSchool of Computer, Electronics and Information, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaIn agricultural production, the nitrogen content of sugarcane is assessed with precision and the economy, which is crucial for balancing fertilizer application, reducing resource waste, and minimizing environmental pollution. As an important economic crop, the productivity of sugarcane is significantly influenced by various environmental factors, especially nitrogen supply. Traditional methods based on manually extracted image features are not only costly but are also limited in accuracy and generalization ability. To address these issues, a novel regression prediction model for estimating the nitrogen content of sugarcane, named SC-ResNeXt (Enhanced with Self-Attention, Spatial Attention, and Channel Attention for ResNeXt), has been proposed in this study. The Self-Attention (SA) mechanism and Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) have been incorporated into the ResNeXt101 model to enhance the model’s focus on key image features and its information extraction capability. It was demonstrated that the SC-ResNeXt model achieved a test R<sup>2</sup> value of 93.49% in predicting the nitrogen content of sugarcane leaves. After introducing the SA and CBAM attention mechanisms, the prediction accuracy of the model improved by 4.02%. Compared with four classical deep learning algorithms, SC-ResNeXt exhibited superior regression prediction performance. This study utilized images captured by smartphones combined with automatic feature extraction and deep learning technologies, achieving precise and economical predictions of the nitrogen content in sugarcane compared to traditional laboratory chemical analysis methods. This approach offers an affordable technical solution for small farmers to optimize nitrogen management for sugarcane plants, potentially leading to yield improvements. Additionally, it supports the development of more intelligent farming practices by providing precise nitrogen content predictions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/175sugarcanenitrogen contentResNeXtpredictionself-attentionCBAM
spellingShingle Zihao Lu
Cuimin Sun
Junyang Dou
Biao He
Muchen Zhou
Hui You
SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane Leaves
Agronomy
sugarcane
nitrogen content
ResNeXt
prediction
self-attention
CBAM
title SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane Leaves
title_full SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane Leaves
title_fullStr SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane Leaves
title_full_unstemmed SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane Leaves
title_short SC-ResNeXt: A Regression Prediction Model for Nitrogen Content in Sugarcane Leaves
title_sort sc resnext a regression prediction model for nitrogen content in sugarcane leaves
topic sugarcane
nitrogen content
ResNeXt
prediction
self-attention
CBAM
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/175
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AT biaohe scresnextaregressionpredictionmodelfornitrogencontentinsugarcaneleaves
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